The 10-day-long festival started with the "sthaapna" puja, followed by aartis for Lord Ganesha at temples, puja pandals, and homes.
Published Aug 31, 2022 | 9:19 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2022 | 9:19 PM
Minister of Animal Husbandary Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, GHMC Mayor VijayLaxmi Gadwal offering prayers to Lord Ganesha at Khairatabad in Hyderabad. (@GadwalvijayaTRS/Twitter)
People welcomed Lord Ganesha with chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” as the 10-day Ganesh festival to worship the elephant-headed god began in South India and across the country on Wednesday, 31 August.
Ganesh Chaturthi — a major Hindu festival — is being celebrated without restrictions for the first time in three years, with the Covid-19 pandemic no longer casting its shadows on the celebrations.
The festival started on Wednesday with the “sthaapna” puja, followed by traditional aartis for Lord Ganesha — the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati — at temples, puja pandals, and homes.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah — among others — extended a greeting on the occasion and prayed for peace and prosperity for the country.
The President tweeted, “Hearty greetings to all the countrymen on Ganesh Chaturthi. Mangalmurti Lord Ganesha is a symbol of knowledge, accomplishment and good fortune. I wish that with the blessings of Shri Ganesh, there should be a spread of happiness, peace and prosperity in everyone’s life. [sic]”
Modi shared a Shlok in Sanskrit on Twitter and wrote, “Michhami Dukkadam! Samvatsari emphasises on forgiveness. May there be no ill feelings towards anyone. May the spirit of kindness and brotherhood always prevail. [sic]”
Shah, meanwhile, tweeted, “Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all the countrymen. Ganpati Bappa Morya! [sic]”
Across the globe, Mumbai is known for its splendid Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. People there celebrate the birthday of Lord Ganesh — popularly known as Raja — with great pomp.
Hyderabad also celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi — which it calls Vinayaka Chavithi — with great pomp and fervour.
A 50-foot-tall Lod Ganesha idol installed at Lord Ganesha idol installed at Khairatabad in Hyderabad. (Supplied)
The celebrations in Hyderabad began with traditional prayers and offerings at 9.30 am in Vinayaka temples and puja pandals (marquees) at alternative roads and popular grounds across the city.
People from across Telangana in thousands are visiting Hyderabad to take part in the grand celebrations.
A special attraction this year is the Khairatabad Vinayaka Chavithi pandal, where a 50-foot-tall idol of Lord Ganesha has been installed.
The idol is made of clay and colours at a cost of ₹1 crore by artisans from Odisha. It is said to be the tallest and most expensive idol to be installed in the state.
Around 35,000 mid-sized and big Ganesh puja pandals have reportedly been set up in the Grater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.
Ganesh chaturthi vibes all around #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/pIeav8KvHb
— Jagan Patimeedi (@JAGANTRS) August 29, 2022
On the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, popularly known as Vinayaka Chaturthi in Tamil Nadu, devotees flocked to various Vinayaka temples to offer their prayers in the state.
Special prayers along with “kozhukattai” (steamed dumplings) were offered to Lord Vinayaka at the Uchipillaiyar shrine atop the rock fort in Tiruchirappalli.
Lord Ganesh’s idol at Puliyakulam Ganesha temple is decorated with sandalwood and four tonnes of flowers. (Supplied)
A 19-foot Lord Ganesh idol at the Puliyakulam Ganesha temple was decorated with sandalwood and 4 tonnes of flowers.
Devotees in large numbers are visiting a puja pandal in Coimbatore’s Sivananda Colony to offer their prayers to Baahubali Vinayagar — a Lord Ganesha idol that shows the deity lifting a Shiv Lingam in Bahubali style.
In the Nagapattinam district of the state, devotees had installed a 32-feet-high idol of Lord Ganesh made of fig trees.
According to the members of the Nagai Viswaroopa Vinayagar Committee, the gigantic idol of “Athi Vinayagar” was made from 83 fig trees. The carving of the idol commenced as early as January this year.
The Ganesh festival is celebrated with great pomp in Karnataka as well.
Irrespective of continuous rains over the last few days, devotees were seen in large numbers at markets as early as 3 am on Wednesday to bring home Lord Ganesha and other items to offer to him.
The rituals are generally performed by men of the house in the morning, while women offer their prayers with other rituals in the evening.
Devotees offer special prasad of kadale kalu sundal along with coconut, flowers, cloth, two bananas, betel leaves, and glass bangles.
The women’s community in Karnataka perform the arishina-kumkuma ritual after sunset. They visit houses of at least 21 neighbours to see 21 Ganeshas and apply arshina (turmeric) and kumkuma (sindhoor) on each other’s foreheads.
